Valentine, NE questions (Omaha, Lincoln, North Platte: section 8, real estate, apartments)
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I hope someone in Valentine can answer a few questions for me!
My son and his family are planning to move to Valentine this summer, and I may relocate there too since I no longer am able to work, and frequently babysit my two granddaughters. Currently I live in Lincoln and have a Section 8 housing voucher, which I would lose if I moved to Valentine, so this is a big decision. Here are my questions:
What are the "Valentine Apartments" like? (They are the only local housing subsidy property. I usually don't like apartment living though. I like having a small yard and some landscaping.)
Are there other affordable rentals there? I live on a fixed income, so I'd want a large one-bedroom or affordable two-bedroom house, duplex or nicer apt. as long as I could have my dog, a mild-mannered golden retriever. I have references and am very quiet - no vices LOL I love to camp, fish, garden, knit, watch the girls, rent movies - yup, very boring.
What's the area like in general? (Sorry, but anything would be better than the crime, noise and traffic in Lincoln.)
What are the local utility companies for gas, electric, TV cable, etc?
What's the Internet company and how's the connection?
How's the weather compared to Lincoln? The humidity here makes both hot and cold weather awful.
I have many other questions and hopefully will get this dialog going and ask more. Thanks for any help.
Not from Valentine, but I'll offer a few opinions:
First, it is a beautiful area. The Niobrara valley is very nice. There is great fishing, camping, river tripping, etc. nearby.
The town has some decent amenities, but it is still pretty rural. No Wal-Mart, no major retailers. You are a long ways from any major town. Even North Platte is two hours away.
The crime is pretty low. The town gets a lot of tourist traffic in the summer. The humidity is much lower. You are higher in elevation and there isn't much irrigation in that part of the state.
Thanks for the info! It's very helpful. The more I learn about Valentine, the more it sounds like the lifestyle we are looking for. (Aw shucks no Wal-mart? What WILL I do! Kidding... I would miss Wal-mart about as much as I would miss a good kick in the pants.)
Well, I just moved to Cody, but I stayed in Valentine two weeks in March and the last week in May, so I'll try to help out a little.
The apartments look from the outside rather small and quaint. Can't say about the inside. Great Plains Communications is the phone company, they provide internet that is DSL and is ok. I think they do cable too but I have Direct TV so can't help you there. Deposit is $75. They respond very quickly to install and when there was a problem on our line. We transferred over the electric company by the previous owner calling them with our info, so I still don't know who we're going to be paying!! LOL But I was told that it is the same co-op that serves the whole state.
Alco is the 'everything' store, there is a Scotty's Meats (grocery), an IGA, and another grocery store (can't remember the name) in town. There is a Family Dollar on Main Street, as well as several locally owned and operated businesses; a ceramics shop, bookstores, etc. Oh, and Young's Western Wear and True Value Hardware is there on Main Street too. There is a Baumgarr's for plants and grills and yard and farm stuff. The clinic is staffed by some very nice and efficient folks, and so is the hospital - when my daughter had a severe headache (we found out later it was her first migraine!) - she was seen in the clinic by appointment within two hours, down and at the hospital for a catscan within the hour. All told, within three hours she had a prescription and was feeling human again.
Because the auction barn and feedlots are right in the center of town, one can smell them when the wind is right. (I LIKE it but some folks don't.)
Cedar Canyon Steakhouse has wonderful dinners and an interesting salad bar; they are a little high. Every time I've been to Jordan's I have gotten diffident service but the food is good. The Bunkhouse is simple, neat, clean, and has wonderful daily soups and specials. The Coachlight Cafe across from True Value has inexpensive yet excellent meals, and the owner is a lot of fun. Most people in Valentine are very warm and friendly - just very busy and hardworking. The women at the True Value are very efficient and know the store really well! And boy can they mix paint! Grin
Coming from back east, the prices are very inexpensive. The wind blows all the time, but it is a lovely thing on warm days, an impressive thing before,during, and after storms. It is pretty dry here - except for recently with all the rain!!! - and I heard Sunday that we were already 3 inches above normal for the year. The little river, the Minechaduza, (hope I spelled that right) was flooding its banks this week, and the Niobrara is pretty intense right now. Don't know if there will be much of an irrigation problem this year!
There are houses for rent in the area; there are several real estate companies and they might be able to help or "know someone". I heard 2 BR's were going for $600 a month plus utilities, but don't quote me on that.
Thanks SC! That's great information, extremely helpful. I appreciate your taking the time to answer my questions.
I figured those apartments might be small, but I can handle small if they are clean, well-maintained and not too drab. Unfortunately apartment living usually puts you at the mercy of your neighbors' music, traffic, noise and smoke. I'm hoping to find a duplex with a small yard but we'll see. I'd even do a mobile home if it was nice enough.
DSL is a must for me, since I am unable to work and spend a LOT of time online - when I can wrangle the computer from my five-year-old granddaughter, that is.
Yep, we're getting lots of rain here in Lincoln too, but since I came here from Seattle, it's still not as much as I was used to!
I like the fact that Valentine is higher elevation and less humidity. Sounds a lot like northern Nevada, where I lived for 20+ years. The whole area sounds lovely - a nice place for my granddaughters to grow up.
Your health care info is especially helpful and important to me, since my specific disability - which by the way was misdiagnosed as migraines for a while and then sinus problems, neither of which was the true condition - requires moderated medications and occasional check-ups.
You have already received some very good info on Valentine. I will throw in my 2 cents worth (lets make that 3 cents got to allow for inflation).
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What are the "Valentine Apartments" like? (They are the only local housing subsidy property. I usually don't like apartment living though. I like having a small yard and some landscaping.)
You will find income based rentals in Valentine as you do in most all towns across Nebraska. I would suggest checking with the Chamber for a listing of these or perhaps the local social services office.
Quote:
Are there other affordable rentals there? I live on a fixed income, so I'd want a large one-bedroom or affordable two-bedroom house, duplex or nicer apt. as long as I could have my dog, a mild-mannered golden retriever. I have references and am very quiet - no vices LOL I love to camp, fish, garden, knit, watch the girls, rent movies - yup, very boring.
I personally know of a couple families that are renting nice smaller homes for under the $350 per month range. A bit of footwork and you may also find something in this range or cheaper. Remember these are going to be older homes, still nice and nothing wrong with them.
Quote:
What's the area like in general? (Sorry, but anything would be better than the crime, noise and traffic in Lincoln.)
In general, Valentine is nice community, you will find everything you need to survive on within the city. Nice shopping for groceries with a variety, clothing, and other necessities. Crime? Not going to sugar coat this, but it happens, to the extend of a larger city like Lincoln, no, but its there and it happens, but it happens no matter where you are. Noise, sure there is noise, they get whooped up pretty good at some of local high school sports activities! And the community celebrations you are going to hear a whoop and a holler also! And if you are going through downtown around bar closing you might hear one also. All in all, its peaceful, you can sit on your front porch and hear your neighbor walk by on the sidewalk and say howdy to you. You can hear the birds chirping in the early morning hours, in the evening depending on your local you may even hear a coyote howl to its mate off in the surrounding countryside or a pair of geese flying overhead calling to one another.
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How's the weather compared to Lincoln? The humidity here makes both hot and cold weather awful.
Humidity isn't going to be what you see in eastern part of our state. But I kid you not, its does tend to get a bit warm here from time to time in the summer. And winter, well she will freeze water in a hurry, lets just put it that way.
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What are the local utility companies for gas, electric, TV cable, etc?
What's the Internet company and how's the connection?
I can't really shed a lot a light on these two questions for you. But I am sure utilities compare to any other town of its size. Internet you should be able to get some answers from the Chamber again there on it and the utilities too I am sure.
I see you mentioned fishing, camping, gardening and such. You have some access to some of the most beautiful area in our country to enjoy these things. From Smith Falls State Park to Merrit for camping. The Valentine Nat'l Refuge to the south for some of the best fishing in the country, along with Merrit and on the north side of town you will find a couple of nice places also. And gardening , well even I can manage to grow a tomato or cucumber in that area.
Hope you enjoy your move, I am sure you will. Welcome to Sandhills.
Thanks Guru! I don't mean to bash Lincoln, but I am very much looking forward to the lifestyle you describe. Thanks also for the excellent info on rentals. With those reasonable rents, maybe I can find a smaller, older home instead of an apartment. I'm a good neighbor, keep property up nicely and like to porch sit and wave at neighbors too. Thanks for the help - and the welcome!
Thanks SC! That's great information, extremely helpful. I appreciate your taking the time to answer my questions.
I figured those apartments might be small, but I can handle small if they are clean, well-maintained and not too drab. Unfortunately apartment living usually puts you at the mercy of your neighbors' music, traffic, noise and smoke. I'm hoping to find a duplex with a small yard but we'll see. I'd even do a mobile home if it was nice enough.
DSL is a must for me, since I am unable to work and spend a LOT of time online - when I can wrangle the computer from my five-year-old granddaughter, that is.
Yep, we're getting lots of rain here in Lincoln too, but since I came here from Seattle, it's still not as much as I was used to!
I like the fact that Valentine is higher elevation and less humidity. Sounds a lot like northern Nevada, where I lived for 20+ years. The whole area sounds lovely - a nice place for my granddaughters to grow up.
Your health care info is especially helpful and important to me, since my specific disability - which by the way was misdiagnosed as migraines for a while and then sinus problems, neither of which was the true condition - requires moderated medications and occasional check-ups.
Great info, and thanks again.
Funny I moved from Omaha to Northern Nevada... lol living in Reno! But will be moving back soon cause the economy is really bad here now just like Jim gibbons!
How funny - small world! I grew up in Reno, and most of my family is still there. My son and his wife tell me all the time how bad the economy is there now - it's especially hard for them since they have twin boys. I'm driving out to see them in July - should cost an arm and a leg for the gas!
Valentine is agreat place to live in. Most people are very nice and will go out of their way to help you. The town has alot of churches and treats everyone in a wonderful way. The only major problem seems to be the local public school. The school district just lost a major age discrimination law suite. a teacher sued and won this case last summer. The funny thing about it was that the school board never punished the school personal who caused the problem. But if you can put up with a school that has problems , Valentine is a cool place to live.
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